mmO2 and DoCoMohave signed a long-term agreement under which O2 will launch the i-mode mobile internet service in the UK, Germany and Ireland. Under the terms of the agreement, O2 is licensed by DoCoMo to offer the i-mode capability to the 22 million customers of its 2/2.5G and 3G mobile communications networks.
O2 UK and O2 Ireland will have exclusive use of i-mode branding and technology in their respective markets. In Germany, the company will launch the service based on i-mode technology under its own brand. In addition to its 800 retail outlets in the three countries, mmO2 has the right to sell the i-mode service and handsets through its existing independent retail channels.
The addition of the i-mode capability to O2's service portfolio in the medium term will complement the highly successful O2 Active WAP portal which now has well over 3 million customers and represents more than 50 per cent of UK mobile internet traffic.
The agreement with mmO2 marks DoCoMo's eleventh partnership for the i-mode service. mmO2 joins an international base that includes: E-Plus Mobilfunk (Germany), KPN Mobile (Netherlands), Far EasTone Telecommunications (Taiwan), BASE (Belgium), Bouygues Telecom (France), Telefonica Moviles Espana (Spain), Wind Telecomunicazioni (Italy), COSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications (Greece), Telstra (Australia) and Cellcom (Israel)."
Posted to the site on 1st December 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/11321.php